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Camino Week 5

8/31/2018

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Day 29 Puertomarin to Melide 40km

Today we all left Puertomarín quite late and were surrounded by pilgrims who had started in Sarrria. It made us appreciate the days up until now that we had to ourselves and didn't see a lot of people. These days were full of people and even when we decided to walk a huge 40km to Melide, the hostels were full. Today I felt energised enough to walk the whole way until the very last few meters when my feet felt like they weren't part of my body. This marks only 50km to Santiago and only two more days left of the Camino de Santiago. Bittersweet

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Camino Week 4

8/31/2018

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Day 22 San Martin to Astorga 25km

​Today we all woke up late at 8am after having the best nights sleep of the Camino in the best bed ever. The 25km today provided a beautiful landscape with a view of the mountains in the distance. The air was fresh and gently blowing, which cooled us from the sun's heat, a nice change from recent days. This evening in beautiful Astorga we visited the museum of chocolate and saw the palace designed by Gaudi. We are making our way back into the mountains and into the region of Galicia which is supposed to be a lot like Ireland and is in fact a celtic region of Spain which will be familiar for Michael and myself and the weather will start to get cooler. Each day gets better and better and we grow stronger and stronger... Tomorrow we have an easy 26km

Day 23 Astorga to Foncebadon

​This morning we were suddenly robbed of our sleep by one of the workers yelling 'Buenos Dias' as he turned on the bright lights in the dorm. We got ready and left the albergue not long after and wearily walked down the streets of Astorga back towards 'the way'. Today we would walk 26km to Foncebadon, a very small hamlet on the mountain. The views were beautiful today, with a mix of hilly trails, jungle paths and wide roads with stone walls reminding me of West Ireland. We were well and truly out of the messeta and heading into a new section of the Camino. The mountains are approaching and it's a beautiful sight to see. Also managed to get a pic of me and my Camino bro Karl, both wearing our ship sweaters.

Day 24 Foncebadon to Ponferrada 30km

Today our walk took us through some beautiful lush hills with stunning views over the distant mountains. The air was fresh, the sun not too hot and the smell of the surrounding flowers was lovely. We passed by some cute stone walled villages and had a rather long break by the river where people swam, sun bathed, mingled and relaxed their tired feet before opting to continue the extra 7km. Today was a great day despite the aching feet and legs at the end but this marks 210km to Santiago. So close so close...Today was also a very special day for many pilgrims (apart from Michael and myself apparently), as we we passed by Cruz de Ferro just after Foncebadon. This was the famous location to leave the stone you had taken from home, which carried some significance to you. Unfortunately both me and Michael only realised this during the camino, like many other things, so we just took some time there to visit and then continued on. That evening we stayed at the local municipal with some other friends. We decided to have our own dinner al fresco which we got from the supermarket. It was a great evening together until we were told to go to bed at 10pm- thats the municipal for you.

 Day 25 Ponferrada to Villafranca 25km

Today I was woken up by bright flashlights shining in my face by fellow pilgrims leaving the albergue at ridiculous o' clock. Not a great start to my day...but it got better as always. We stopped 7km in for breakfast, a short break after, at a food truck called 'La Siesta' and after 10km more we decided to join the rest of the group and stay the night in Villafranca. This was the day that the albergue hospitalero thought Michael and myself were married and instead of seperating us into non mixed dorms, he actually made us sleep in a hidden attic room, which was basic of course (for 6 euro) but pretty cool and a pretty funny story to tell afterwards. The scenery today was quite steep at points, both incline and decline with a beautiful surrounding view of the vineyards and rolling hills. Tomorrow we will go to our highest point of 1400 so we plan to leave early to get up there before the best of the sun sets in. We are almost in Galicia and only 183km from Santiago, where has the time gone?

Day 26 Villafranca to Cebreiro 28km

Today we set off a bit later than the others but continued for 10km before Michael and I stopped for our routine of fried eggs and toast (huevos y pan tostadas). Today's scenery was beautiful consisting of rolling hills, stone walls and steep inclines to 1300m, looking more like Ireland than ever. We have officially entered the beautiful province of Galicia, known for its Celtic culture and tomorrow we will continue on 150km to Santiago. I don't want this journey to end. Tonight we would stay in the small 'hamlet' of O Cebreiro at 1300m. We also had some sangria in the sun while waiting for the others to join us for dinner and then had a lovely group meal together.This town was absolutely stunning with panoramic views over the green hills reminding me a lot of Ella, Sri Lanka (worldtravellerz profile picture).

Day 27 Cebreiro to San Memed 37km

Today was our longest day yet of the camino. We set off after sunrise and were greeted by a spectacular view of the clouds at 1400m hovering over the green hills. It was beautiful. After this we walked through many many villages and had a few breaks along the way. The walk took us along the road on some parts and through forest trails on others. There was a familiar smell of 'countryside' (or home, as we joked), as we walked through all the farms and fields. We are all now enjoying, a well deserved glass of vino in the quaint garden of our private albergue which was ironically for sale.... If only I had 600k..... !

Day 28 San Memed to Puertomarin 26km

Today we set off the latest we ever have, 9:30am. The good thing about this is we missed a lot of pilgrims who had left earlier and had the road mostly to ourselves. The path brought us through many different 'hamlets' and we didn't take our first break until 15km where we had a quick second breakfast and one other break after 23km at a delicious vegetarian cafe along the way. The evening consisted of a nice pilgrim dinner and a reunion with some other friends in the town. This section of the Camino is the most popular short route of 100km from Sarria to Santiago dear Compostela, so we are noticing a lot more people on the trails (blow ins, we call them)
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Camino Week 3

8/31/2018

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Day 15 Hontanas to Itero de la Vega

​This morning we slept in late for the first time, having celebrated Allandes birthday last night. It was nice because our group included Stuart and Kata last night for the meal. We were also the last to leave the albergue for once, which was nice. We walked only a few kms to St Anton where we stopped for some quick breaks in a pilgrim shack in St Anton and a bar in Castrojeriz. We continued on a long steep incline through the messeta in the strong heat before taking a rest at the top and eventually walking further to reach the beginning of Itero de la Vega where we stopped for a cerveza con limón (nothing unusual there). After a few more steps we finally reached an albergue where we decided to spend the night- there wasnt much choice to be fair. Our group of 7 had a dorm for ourselves and planned to make sangria and have dinner for Vicente's last night on the Camino. It was here that I also had the best sandwhich of the camino (still is) made by a lovely lady in the local shop for 2.50. I planned to save half of it for tomorrow but i just couldnt. The dinner that evening was lovely and It was such a nice get together for Vicente who would go back to Madrid tomorrow. It was moments like this that I wish i could capture in a bottle and relive over and over. My gratefulness exceeded every single day.

Day 16 Itero de la Vega to Villarmento 22km

This morning we said goodbye to Vicente who went back to Madrid.  We walked for a few kms and left him at the bus stop, a very random one located smack bang in the middle of nowhere. We continued on to Villarmento. Last night we had dinner and homemade sangria for our last night with him which was such a great way to end our time with him. It seemed that people came and left the group at times but its like they were always there but apart from this, the group had mostly stuck together from the beginning. Our group had broken up slightly having left Hyoung Bai, Carolin and Zac behind but we had gained Michael, Christin and Karl who we had known from the beginning. Today we walked a rather easy path and stopped in Boadilla for a coffee and a gigantic croissant and Fromista for some food and breaks, where we ran into Hyuong Bai and Jingi (the koreans). They had planned to stay either in Fromista or a bit further but they ended up walking almost 40km that day due to no availability. They ended up at our amazing hippy albergue which had hammocks, ducks, sheep and a great vibe. We are very close to the city of Léon and almost half way to Santiago. That evening we had the most amazing communal dinner (pic below) and outdoor bonfire. I even did a short yoga practice with the whold group in the garden which was so special, even if i did sit in shit.... Karl loved that one so much, it became a joke for the rest of the camino. This was such a beautiful night with beautiful people.

Day 17 Villarmento to Calzadilla 25km

Last night we had one of our best nights of the Camino where we enjoyed a delicious communal dinner with new friends, did some yoga in the garden and sat by the bonfire drinking beers. Today was a rather easy day. The road was a never ending straight road with no shade and as we left rather late in the morning we walked through some hottest parts of the day with hardly any places to stop in-between. I wont forget the sight of the random shack after walking for so many kms, which was basically a guy with a bbq selling some drinks and playing the coolest tunes- It was heaven. Needless to say, the sight of the village as we peaked over the last hill, was an amazing sight to see but that seemed like the longest road ive walked so far on the camino. I checked in and went straight for the pool. We aimed to sleep early and leave early the next day.

Day 18 Calzadilla to Bercianos 35km

Last night we had a relatively early night but didn't sleep well because the heat of the packed dorm was overwhelming. However we did manage to get up early and set off at 6am to get a head start on the sun. We aimed to get to Sahagun for lunch time and then decide whether to go further to the next town of Bercianos which would make this quite a long day. We had a few breaks along the way and the heat wasn't as bad as some other days. A good playlist and amazing peaceful and beautiful scenery helped the journey go smooth, until the last few Kms when my feet were in excruciating pain and I had shin splints. Needless to say I'm now resting my tired legs now in a gorgeous albergue in Bercianos and I don't Intend to move but on the upside we have officially reached halfway.

Day 19 Bercianos to Mansilla 25km

​Today our group split, Karl and Michael going the 47km to Leon and Me, Allande and Christin going the 25km to Mansilla. The road was rather straight and easy today but I'm noticing that pain becomes more and more for me on flat roads. I walked 25km today in excruciating pain in my right shin, which I tried to ignore with good dance music. I walked mostly on the bumpy parts of the gravel path for relief which helped a lot but I'm hoping it doesn't get worse. Luckily I have a rest day in Leon coming up and a reunion with the entire camino gang.

Day 20 Manillas to Leon 18km

Today we took a long leisurely walk to the city of Léon which marks more than half way for us. The feeling we had when spotted the first sight of the city from the hilltops was amazing. Lucky for us there was a breeze and the sun was not so strong, so we had quite an easy day of walking to meet our friends in the city. We reunited, had some drinks and explored the city before enjoying a delicious Chinese buffet that evening. So thankful to be surrounded by such amazing people and looking forward to a rest day tmro finally (which turned into another day of walking severely hungover).

Day 21 Leon to San Martin 25km

So our rest day turned into an unexpected 25km walk to the next town outside of Leon. It was Michael who had woken up and decided to continue on because he had a deadline to get to Santiago. The rest of us had planned to have a deserved rest day and catch up with some others who would catch up soon. After having breakfast, we spontaneously decided to join Michael and walk 25km to the next town. We had all woken up this morning and all had the feeling that the Camino was calling us, so we changed into our hiking clothes last minute in the cafe and off we went. It was a long day, not too hot, but we were ( i definitely was) regretting having drinks/shots the night before and lack of sleep. When we arrived we checked into a cosy hostel, had dinner and chilled in hammocks in the evening. Despite not having a full rest day it was so nice to spend the day and evening in Leon with our Camino friends. What a beautiful city.
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Camino Week 2

8/31/2018

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Day 8 Los Arcos to Logrono

Today would be our longest day of walking so far so we decided to wake up early to avoid too much of the midday sun, except that when we woke up, Hyungbai had disappeared and all the other pilgrims had left earlier than us. We rushed to get ready and leave the albergue into the darkness. Although very long, the beginning wasn't so difficult and we even stopped at a small cafe along the way to get a coffee and croissant- a routine these days. We continued on towards Viana which was a long way through vineyards and hills and once we reached there, we stopped for lunch and a beer. We met some of the other pilgrims there and then set off again on the last leg of 11km to Logroño. The heat was starting to set in but I was so thankful to have some good beats on my phone to keep me occupied. My feet started to hurt towards the last stretch but I somehow hobbled towards the city and eventually reached the parish albergue with Allande. Here we reunited with Hyungbai and the other Korean guys and not long after the rest of our friends arrived. The albergue only had 36 beds so they had the choice to sleep on mats on the top floor which they accepted and which seemed more appealing than the beds in the first place. Tonight we will prepare a communal dinner together with the owners, go to a pilgrim mass in Spanish and then eat dinner together after this at the albergue. I don't think I've been to church this much since I was a child. I didnt know then, but this evening would go down in our camino history, and give us many laughs about the priest that hated me.

Day 9 Logrono to Najera

Today our Korean friends woke up at 4:30am and headed off on the almost 30km hike to Najera. We woke up at 5:15 and we set off around 6am along with most of the others from the albergue. Walking out of Logroño city the directions were hard to come by and we noticed the yellow arrows we were used to seeing on random trees and footpaths, weren't around. We followed the more official signs which weren't so obvious but finally we got on track and left the city through a park and lake area. We walked a surprisingly quick 12km to Navarette where we sat and had our usual breakfast with our friends who were either there or just arrived. After breakfast we walked another 12km or so on long dusty roads passed vineyards. The scenery wasn't anything too spectacular but the vineyards were peaceful. We stopped at a picnic area and ate our home made sandwich from the cafe and snacks but were out of water with no fountain in sight. After testing one tired feet and readjusting our shoes, socks, bandaids, sandals and applying tiger balm, we continued for the last leg to Najera. When we finally entered the area it seemed like we were close it to realise it was a long long road into the city and to the albergue. The town was pretty with a river running through it, a bridge and bright green grass on which people lay. After checking in to the cosy hostel, we did our laundry (much needed) and went out for some food. I'll never forget going for a kebab with Hyungbai and him getting so dissatisfied when he got the kebab he ordered with extra meat but with no salad (or vegetables as he called it) he couldn't understand that he had asked for that. His humour made my day every day even when he didn't realise it. We socialized with new friends and 'old' friends by the river before retiring back to the hostel and planned to sleep in tomorrow for the first time because afterall we ONLY had 20km to do. You know you're getting stronger when you say things like that.

Day 10 Najera to Santo Domingo 20km

Today, to me was the easiest day of the journey so far, for many reasons. Firstly the weather was in our favour, blowing a soft wind with a cool temperature, secondly, the terrain was basically just a long dirt road the whole way with not many ascents or descents and thirdly because today was 'only' a 20km distance. You know you're killing it when you say things like 'only 20km' To be honest after 20km my feet start to kill me but up until then, I'm darting along. We all went at our own pace and took two relatively long breaks for breakfast and a liquid lunch (which is common among us pilgrims in Spain).

Day 11 Santo Domingo to Bellorado

Today the scenery was quite impressive as we left the La Rioja region. At the first village everything was closed except a delicious cookie bakery which we of course had to try out. The view today was beautiful as the sun rose behind us and as we and the rolling green hills dotted with sunflowers. We had a quick lunch and met the rest of the group who weren't far behind. After another quick break at a playground (so fun), we took the last 5km to Belorado where we checked in to a super cool albergue with a lush garden and pool. The afternoon was spent sun bathing and enjoying each others company while catchy music played around us. This was one of my best days so far, but I say that every time. That evening we had a lovely meal together and talked about the days adventures and reflections. I absolutely loved the people around me and was so thankful for their presence every day.

Day 12 Bellorado to Ages 25km

Today we had a big communal breakfast at our albergue to start us up for the day. We had planned to walk to San Juan de Ortega and then decide whether to walk further to the next town or not. We stopped for a quick juice along the way at our 'second breakfast' stop as we came to know it now. Later we continued uphill through a beautiful forest until we came to a hippy community set up, selling food and drinks by donation. They had hammocks which everyone chilled in and a relaxed atmosphere which was so welcomed by us. From there we came to San Juan de Ortega where I had a 70c glass of wine (couldn't believe it) and then decided to continue a few Kms more to Ages which meant we had less to walk to the city of Burgos tomorrow. Here we stayed at a lovely albergue and had a delcious communal dinner once again al fresco.

Day 13 Ages to Burgos 23km

Today I saved a cat's life (his head was stuck through a fence), ate the best Spanish tortilla and donated my beloved hiking boots which were weighing me down (practicing non attachment, which didnt last very long as i took them back eventually). 'The way' began slightly uphill along a dirt path and the rest of the way was a mix of picturesque country roads, gravel paths and eventually a never ending promenade entering Burgos. The view of the magnificent cathedral in Burgos was enough to make me forget my tired and pained feet (for a moment) and the feeling of a fresh shower and fresh laundry reminded me never to take anything for granted. We have now walked over 300km I can't get my head around it.... Here we would begin to meet some new pilgrims who would start in Burgos. Along the way we would go on to meet more new pilgrims beginning in some of the major cities further along the camino.

Day 14 Burgos to Hontanos

​Today proved to be a different day to the rest, a more challenging one for me. By the end of the day it left me thinking about the struggles we go through in life and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, just one of the lessons the Camino teaches us. Yes I was frustrated, my feet were in terrible pain, I cursed a lot and hated being in that moment wondering why I had chosen to do this but at the end, it's all worth it and it's all in the mind afterall. The first half of the day was perfect, slow and steady, passing by sunflowers and eventually leaving Burgos city. We stopped after 10km for a quick breakfast and continued on to Hornillos de Camino where we had a delicious lunch at a restaurant run by a Northern Irish lady we had met handing out cherries along the trail. We had a very different type of pilgrim menu even consisting of various vegetarian options, which me Christin and Vicente were happy about. It was here that we debated whether to stay in this town or continue on for 10km more. We decided to continue, not thinking about the intense heat of the day and the lack of shelter, and basically the reality of 10kms more. The struggle was real walking in the afternoon heat with no shade and a neverending path leading into nowhere. Finally we made it to Hontanas where Andrea greeted us and this also meant that we are almost halfway to Santiago.
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Camino Week 1

7/19/2018

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Day 1- Saint Jean to Orisson 8km

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Arriving to the quaint French town of Saint Jean Pied de Port, the famous pilgrim town to begin the Camino de Santiago, I immediately headed for the pastry shop. I grabbed a chocolate croissant and headed off to collect my pilgrim passport. The town was so pretty and the vibe was exciting. I met a new friend from Korea who began the journey with me. With passports on hand, a sense of adventure and determination, we headed off on the steep incline towards Orisson. There we planned to stay the night and continue to Rocanvalles the next day. Some people had opted to do the whole journey to Saint Jean to Rocanvalles but after a very challenging beginning, I was so happy to have made the choice to stay. Refuge Orisson, the only one there, had the most spectacular views over the green rolling hills of the Pyrenees. After a shower, and meeting new friends, I took a seat up high on the garden bench looking over the panoramic view whilst soaking up the sun and silence. It was magical and highly highly recommended. For €36 you had a dorm bed in a 6 bed dorm, breakfast, communal dinner (they made me a special vegetarian one) including local wine and for €5 more they offered lunch for the next days hike. It was an expensive beginning but worth every cent. After a nap, we gathered together for our special communal dinner which was so so nice. We got chatting to everyone, told stories, introduced ourselves to the group and are good hearty food. Tomorrow we would continue the trail towards Rocanvalles, another step closer on the Camino.

​Day 2- Orisson to Rocanvalles

With a plan to set off early after breakfast, we woke up at 6:10 to see the sunrise. The mist was surrounding that we were unable to see the sun rise at all. We got ready and headed down for breakfast which was included in our €36 fee. With a belly full of bread and coffee, we set off to climb the last of the challenging Pyrenees to the highest point on the journey. They said that the beginning was the hardest and today we would hike 8km up and the rest of the hike would be steep downhill for another 8km. The trail began on the main road with some up and downward hills, strong winds at the top and some very rugged and rocky terrain on the steep decent. We stopped along the way for some breaks at the infamous food truck in which a local provided pilgrims with lots of snacks and a stamp for the pilgrim passport, as well as the French/Spanish border and various places a long the way to catch our or have a snack. We had lots of laughs the whole way and even caught up with a Peruvian guy me met at the albergue (hostel), who we continued to walk with along the way. We swapped 'Buen Camino' with various pilgrims as they passed us and continued until we saw the sign for only 500m left. We had hiked almost 17km in 4 hours and arrived at our Albergue in Rocanvalles. Our pilgrim routine of taking a shower, washing laundry and napping before our communal dinner was ever present and I was so comforted by the cosiness and the atmosphere f my surroundings. Tomorrow we had the longest day of the hike so far so it was important to rest our bodies, eat well and relax our mind. I was beginning to wonder why I hadn't done this sooner.

​Day 3 Roncesvalles to Zubiri 20km

Waking up this morning in the largest dorm I've ever encountered was not as bad as I thought. Despite heaps of people around me, there was a sense of privacy and comfort as well as the added bonus of no one snoring during the night. Everyone wandered tiredly to and from the bathroom around 6am, preparing to start the day to Zubiri and even further. We walked for 2km on a lovely forest pathway until we reached a cafe and supermarket where we had breakfast and got snacks for the day. We continued to walk with the rest of the other pilgrims through rolling hills, farms, forests and roads stopping at the only local bar cafe along the way for lunch. We continued on and despite having to change shoes because of my poor pained feet, I made it to Zubiri with happy toes. Here, we did some laundry (felt amazing to clean everything) and then went for an way pilgrim dinner. This is the common name for meals here and it generally meant that for a set price €10-12 you got a starter, main, dessert and drinks which lined our stomachs for the evening. We then hung around spending the evening laughing and joking about the days events - in particular when we met a Norwegian lady from our last hostel who arrived and told us the story that she swallowed a fly on the trail which in turn led her to vomit and then she took a nap right there on the trail while her friend set the alarm in case she slept too much. We laughed so much just like we laughed about almost everything we encountered over these past few days. The vibes and atmosphere of my newly found group of Camino pilgrims was contagious. Tomorrow we would wake early to walk to the next place, a place I was familiar with- the city of Pamplona. Another step closer to Santiago, we were so excited.

Day 4- Zubiri to Pamplona. 20km.

With tired legs, backs and arms we finally arrived in bustling Pamplona and have gained a few new members to the group. We now consist of 4 Koreans, 1 US, 1 Swedish, 1 German, 1 French and 1 Irish which is unheard of when walking the Camino. We arrived to the albergue which is also a church that raises donations, to find some of our other friends from a long the way. I was so happy to be here and appreciated every minute despite the ever present knee pain, feet pain and back pain, not to mention the flu I was suffering with. We were so excited to be in our first city of Pamplona and that evening was one of the best we had on the whole camino. Our group went out for sangria, tapas and mussels that evening and made amazing memories and connections in this beautiful vibrant city.

​Day 5- Pamplona to Puente le Reina

iAs every morning starts we began with a quick breakfast at the albergue and set off through the beautiful streets of Pamplona as a large group of 8. We walked to the outskirts of Pamplona and up into the hills reaching a beautiful array of sunflowers. Today was by the far the best day for scenery. The rolling hills around Pamplona along with the beautiful colours of the sunflowers lining the path were like something from a Windows screensaver. In the distance there were castles on hills and small villages perched above, one in which we stopped in for a break. After a quick coffee and 'Beun Camino' to our fellow pilgrims, we continued on towards Puente le Reina. Along the way, almost as if it was by fate, a fountain situated in a small sleepy town, invited us in. We filled out water bottles and better yet, we soaked our poor tired feet in the cold water pond. This was the best feeling ever known to me, at the time. After relaxing on the sun and having some snacks, we set off on the last leg of the journey. On our final stretch we entered a beautiful church where we got yet another stamp for our pilgrim passport (these could be obtained at cafes, churches, bars and of course your albergue for the night). When we arrived we checked in to the €5 hostel which had a lovely stream in the back yard as well as a lush garden to relax in. After showering, we chilled in the garden before going to the town for a delicious pilgrim meal. Generally this means three course and a drink for €10 but our drink included almost a bottle of wine/sangria each. Everyone was having a great time in Puente de le Reina, meeting friends, sharing laughs and enjoying the local cuisine. I was so thankful to have experienced a beautiful day like this.

​Day 6 Puente la Reina to Estella

​Today we woke up again at 6:15 and left the albergue by 7am. This place was great for €5, it had a beautiful garden area to relax and personally I had a great sleep. We decided to go to the next town for breakfast to get a headstart but after 3km hiking uphill in the morning heat we realised we should have eaten first. Nevertheless, we found a local cafe which provided delcious breakfast snacks and good coffee as always. We continued along the way through dirt paths crossing vineyards and valleys which had a mix of terrain. The day was relatively easy apart from the very beginning and the very end when we encountered the hottest of the sun. During our walk we stopped at the various villages, eco rest area with book exchange, a makeshift bar and another small town where we had a delicious paella lunch. Today seemed to be the day where we rested a lot and by the end we realised we should probably have avoided this in order to avoid the sun. Coming towards the last few Kms we were greeted by a welcome sign into Estella which to us, meant the town was nearby- we joked that it was the longest entrance into any town in Spain. Thirsty for water, we were then greeted with a fresh water fountain which almost seemed surreal considering how parched we were in the afternoon sun. We checked into Anfas albergue which raises money for the mentally ill and was the place that most of our pilgrim friends were staying too. It was hard to believe that tomorrow would mark 1 week of the Camino.

Day 7 Estella to Los Arcos

This morning we set off just after 7am as well as the other pilgrims. We picked up the pace and only stopped to see the famous wine fountain and have lunch before arriving. Having well passed the 100km mark at this point, our bodies are starting to get used to the long distances now but the feet are still not blister free. We walk at least 21km a day and this distance will Increase as the days go on and the places become further apart. It still seems like it's only a tiny section of the map but my feet are proof that I've walked as far as I have. As I mentioned earlier, we passed by the famous Fuente De Irache (Wine Fountain) which is located at Bodega Irache, a vineyard. They have 100L of wine which they give our for free every day to pilgrims passing by and I had read about this beforehand. It was an ample opportunity to fill up a bottle for the way. The day included a pass by two small villages and the rest (13km) was no man's land with nothing but a random food truck blaring pop music in between the never ending road to Los Arcos. The heat was starting to increase but we arrived in the early afternoon to be told today we have free paella and wine for St James day. 😍 My legs and body are not as sore as in the beginning but my feet are starting to fall apart. I have switched back to my hiking boots since yesterday but with this heat, I may switch back to my hiking sandals for the rest of the trip. The sweat doesn't allow the feet to heal either so it's best to give them a breather. Tomorrow will be 29km, the longest we have done but will be okay with my sandals I'm hoping. Our feast this evening was incredible. The whole village came together to cook is a delicious meal and welcome us as pilgrims. We drank wine and mingled with new people which was so much fun. I am loving every day of this journey whether it's a challenging day, easy day, hot day or cold day. Every minute is special, every person I meet is special and each evening I get to arrive in a beautiful town with my new friends and reflect on the day as we relax our ever aching feet
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    Jade is an avid world traveller who aims to inspire others to see the world

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